The talent is eye-opening. Not only can Josh Allen throw the ball a mile, but he has sneaky-good athleticism. We’ve seen Allen show off both in his first two NFL appearances. The question with Allen has never been whether or not he has the physical ability to play quarterback in the NFL, though. The question is, can he do all the little things that will help him harness his off-the-charts talent. The early returns so far are encouraging.

Allen has looked steady in the pocket early on. His footwork looks more precise than it was at Wyoming. He’s ready to throw at the top of his drop and has done a decent job of taking what the defense gives him. Keeping the offense on schedule is, and will continue to be, a driving point for his success throughout his career.

However, the most encouraging signs from Allen’s play so far have been his ability to throw with bodies around him. Allen has shown that he doesn’t need a ton of room in the pocket to be able to drive the ball downfield accurately. He can throw in a phone booth so to speak:

We’ve seen Allen throw with pressure in his face:

We’ve seen Allen navigate pressure within the pocket and keep a downfield focus:

And we’ve seen Allen show off his athleticism when there are no other options:

The normal caveat of not judging a player by two preseason appearances still applies. However, you can’t help but get excited over the promise of what Allen can be as a quarterback. Time will tell if he can harness his potential.